Temps forts 2012

24 January: 700 prominent Australians call for a ban

ICAN launches an appeal signed by former prime ministers, defence ministers, foreign ministers, judges and military chiefs urging global leadership for a nuclear weapons ban and an end to Australia’s reliance on US nuclear weapons.

5 March: Global divestment initiative launched

ICAN launches a major study, Don’t Bank on the Bomb, detailing global investments in nuclear weapons companies. Campaigners put pressure on their financial institutions to end their support for the nuclear arms industry.

17 April: Norway announces humanitarian conference

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre announces a conference in March 2013 on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. ICAN campaigners in Norway urge their government to pursue a ban.

30 April: ICAN campaign meeting held in Vienna

Over 150 ICAN campaigners meet in Vienna prior to the NPT preparatory committee meeting to discuss ways to build support for a nuclear weapons ban. They agree on the need to emphasize the humanitarian harm caused by nuclear weapons.

May: Strong humanitarian focus at NPT meeting

At the Non-Proliferation Treaty preparatory meeting in Vienna, ICAN urges nations to consider the “catastrophic humanitarian consequences” of any use of nuclear weapons. Sixteen nations endorse a statement highlighting such effects.

2 June: “Ten seconds is all it takes” video released

ICAN releases a video on Nuclear Abolition Day highlighting that 10 seconds is all it takes to create a humanitarian catastrophe. This is also the time required for a government to add its signature to a treaty banning nuclear weapons.

10 June: ICAN launches activity booklet in Arabic

ICAN campaigner Nasser Burdestani launches an Arabic version of Learn Peace – ICAN’s educational resource for schoolchildren. The booklet provides practical ideas for students to promote a nuclear-weapon-free world.

July: ICAN launched in Sweden

Campaigners in Sweden launch ICAN, with doctors offering blood-pressure tests to show that we need to prevent heart attacks as well as nuclear attacks. Campaigner Josefin Lind speaks on a panel about nuclear insecurity.

6 August: ICAN study highlights catastrophic harm

ICAN publishes a study on the catastrophic effects of nuclear weapons on our health, societies and the environment. The resource argues that a humanitarian-based approach to nuclear disarmament is urgently needed.

21 August: ICAN campaign meeting held in Hiroshima

More than 100 ICAN campaigners from 25 countries take part in a meeting in Hiroshima focusing on the urgent humanitarian imperative to ban nuclear weapons and the potential to expand the ICAN movement in Japan and throughout Asia.

10 September: A-bomb survivors embark on tour of Israel

The Israeli Disarmament Movement, in partnership with ICAN and the Japanese Peace Boat, organizes a historic tour of Israel by survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. They share their stories with Holocaust survivors.

September: Paper cranes delivered to world leaders

ICAN campaigners from Hiroshima send 1,000 hand-folded paper cranes to every president and prime minister worldwide. In return, they seek a message of support for a global ban on nuclear weapons.